Apparatus for controlling the flow-rate of liquid of an electric pump and the temperature of the control and actuation electronics of a pumping device that carries the electric pump

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for controlling the flow-rate of liquid of an electric pump and the temperature of the control and actuation electronics of a pumping device that carries the electric pump, the apparatus comprising, on a single monolithic segment of delivery duct, a flow-rate detector and a heat sink for a control and actuation unit, which is provided with temperature detection elements, the heat sink having a wet side that is exposed to the liquid and a dry side that is sealed from the liquid, with which the control and actuation unit is associated.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling theflow-rate of liquid of an electric pump and the temperature of thecontrol and actuation electronics of a pumping device that carries theelectric pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, a hydraulic pumping system is provided with a pump body towhich the intake and delivery ducts are connected, and typically on theside of the delivery duct a flowmeter is installed which is capable ofdetecting the presence of flow and, in combination with apressure-controlled switch and an electronic board, of switching thepump on and off automatically.

However, very often the need is felt to monitor in real time the valuesof pressure and flow-rate as well.

For this purpose, a pressure transducer, preferably an electronic one,in order to know the spot value of the delivery pressure, and aflowmeter, in order to know the value of the flow rate, are used often.

It is also important to detect the temperature of the control andactuation electronics in order to prevent an excessive rise of thetemperature of sensitive parts from compromising its functionality andalso to prevent, on the contrary, an excessive drop of the temperatureof the operating environment from causing the freezing of the liquidthat is present inside the system.

The problem of temperature increase is often solved by means of fan-typecooling systems, which as is known are bulky and noisy.

Furthermore, an inconvenient space occupation is caused by the divisionof the delivery duct into segments that carry these systems forflow-rate measurement and temperature control, which must be connectedby means of adapted connectors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus to beinstalled on the delivery of liquid of an electric pump that is compactand capable of detecting the values of flow-rate of the fluid and ofcontrolling the temperature of the control and actuation electronics ofa pumping device.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatusthat is quieter than the ones currently often used.

Another object of the invention is to devise an apparatus forcontrolling the flow-rate of liquid of an electric pump and thetemperature of the control and actuation electronics of a pumping devicethat carries the electric pump, characterized in that it comprises, on asingle monolithic segment of delivery duct:

-   -   flow-rate detection means,    -   a heat sink for a control and actuation unit, which is provided        with temperature detection means, said heat sink having a wet        side that is exposed to the liquid and a dry side that is sealed        from the liquid, with which said control and actuation unit is        associated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will becomebetter apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusiveembodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, illustrated byway of nonlimiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is another exploded perspective view of the apparatus accordingto the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the apparatus according to theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus at the heat sink, andassociated with the control and actuation unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the figures, the apparatus according to the invention,generally designated by the reference numeral 10, is provided for thecontrol of the flow-rate of liquid of an electric pump and for thecontrol of the temperature of a control and actuation unit 13 of apumping device that carries the electric pump and is not shown.

The apparatus 10 comprises, on a single monolithic segment 11 ofdelivery duct, preferably made of plastic material, flow-rate detectionmeans 12 and a heat sink 14 for the control and actuation unit 13, of aknown type and provided with temperature detection means 15.

The heat sink 14 has a wet side 16 that is exposed to the liquid and adry side 17 that is sealed from the liquid and with which the controland actuation unit 13 is associated.

The flow-rate detection means 12 are part of a first portion 18 of themonolithic segment 11 of the delivery duct and comprise a flowmeter 19with a rotating fan 20, which is closed with a cover 21 that isappropriately fixed by means of first screws 22, and means 23 fortransporting data to an external device for the control and actuation ofthe pumping device.

More particularly, the data transport means 23 consist of a signalcable, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which connects the flowmeter 19, moreparticularly a Hall sensor thereof, to the external control andactuation device.

As regards instead the heat sink 14, it is fitted on a second portion 24of the monolithic segment 11 and the control and actuation unit 13 isassociated therewith and provided with the temperature detection means15, which consist substantially of a temperature sensor designed toprovide the value of the temperature of said control and actuation unit13 when the pump is operating or of the surrounding environment when thepump is off. The temperature detection means 15 are associated with anexternal control and actuation device.

Such external device is designated by the reference numeral 25 in FIG. 5and consists substantially of an electronic board, which can be the samedevice to which the flowmeter 19 is connected by means of the signalcable and is part of the control and actuation unit 13.

The heat sink 14 consists substantially of a first wall 26, which ismetallic and preferably made of brass and closes a chamber 27 for thepassage of the delivery liquid, which lies on the second portion 24, bymeans of second screws 28 or, as an alternative, with other fixingmeans.

In particular, observing FIG. 5 again, it can be seen that what has beendescribed as a control and actuation unit 13, which substantially is notnew in itself, comprises another heat sink 29, made of aluminum, whichis not placed in contact with the water (as occurs instead for the mainheat sink 14), and accommodates the temperature detection means 15,i.e., the temperature sensor, and is interposed between the heat sink14, on the dry side 17, and the electronic board, in order to dissipateby conduction the heat from the board to the heat sink 14, which is incontact with the colder water of the delivery on the wet side 16.

In particular, transistors 30 to be cooled are mounted directly on thealuminum heat sink and are connected to the electronic board by way ofadapted connections.

The chamber 27 for the passage of the delivery liquid is providedinternally with a baffle 31 for diverting the flow toward the wet side16 of the heat sink 14. In particular, the deflector 31, clearly visiblein the exploded view of FIG. 2, consists of an insert to be arrangedwithin the passage chamber 27. More particularly, it is applied againstthe second wall 32 of the passage chamber 27, which is opposite thefirst wall 26, is shaped complementarily thereto, following on one sidethe tubular shape of the duct that is repeated in the passage chamber27, and has a convex portion 33, substantially a dome, on the side ofthe liquid, in order to divert its flow toward the first wall 26.

The flow rate detection means 12 and the heat sink 14 are arranged insuccession with respect to each other and therefore the liquid thatexits from the flowmeter then passes through the passage chamber 27.

The apparatus 10 is conveniently provided with gaskets for theassociation of parts in contact with the water, such as a first O-ring34 to close the flowmeter 19 with the cover 21 and a second O-ring 35 toclose with the first wall 26 the passage chamber 27.

Advantageously, the monolithic segment 11 is provided at its endportions, the first one 36 and the second one 37, with means 38 forquick and reversible connection respectively to a segment of pipe 39that carries the liquid in output from the electric pump and to anotherdelivery duct segment, which is not shown and preferably carries aone-way valve.

By way of example, a segment of pipe 39 is in fact shown in FIG. 2 inorder to illustrate the connection to the monolithic segment 11; suchconnection is similar for the other delivery portion, although it is notshown.

As clearly visible in FIG. 2, the quick and reversible connection means38 comprise a U-shaped bracket 40, which is inserted with two parallelarms 41 in corresponding windows 42 provided in the first end portion 36(and in a similar manner on the second end portion 37) to enter alsolaterally a groove 43 of the segment of pipe 39, preventing itsextraction.

The measurement system can be completed with a pressure transducer to beinstalled again on the delivery, downstream of the monolithic segment11.

Operation of the apparatus according to the invention is as follows.

The monolithic segment 11 of the delivery duct, connected by means ofits end portions, the first one 36 and the second one 37, respectivelyto the pipe segment 39 and to the other segment of the delivery duct, bymeans of the quick and reversible connection means 38, is crossed by theliquid that is pumped by the electric pump.

In the passage through the first portion 18, the flow of liquid passesthrough the flowmeter 19, turning its rotating fan 20, the rotation rateof which, which corresponds to a flow-rate value, is detected by theHall sensor and the signal is carried by means of the data transportmeans 23, i.e., the signal cable, to the external device (optionally 25,i.e., the electronic board) for the control and actuation of the pumpingdevice that controls the electric pump.

In succession, the flow of liquid passes through the second portion 24,where it is forced by the baffle 31 toward the wet side 16 of the heatsink 14.

Here the liquid in contact with the first wall 26, made of brass, coolsby conduction the control and actuation unit 13 and therefore theelectronic board and in particular the transistors 30.

The value of the surrounding temperature is controlled by thetemperature sensor, which provides it to the external device 25.

The latter, in case of overheating, can actuates the shutdown of theelectric pump and, if provided in software, can also control itspower-on in order to heat the liquid if instead its temperature dropsuntil it is close to the freezing temperature.

For maintenance interventions it is possible to remove the monolithicsegment 11 from the delivery duct of the system: it is sufficient toremove the U-shaped bracket 40, extracting it from the windows 42, andto extract the segment of pipe 39 and the other segment of the deliveryduct respectively from the first end portion 36 and from the second endportion 37.

These connectors are obviously advantageous, not only because they allowto perform maintenance operations rapidly but also because they help toreduce significantly the space occupation of the apparatus.

It should also be noted that the choice to cool the electronics byconduction, using the passage of the liquid inside the monolithicsegment 11 (instead of fan cooling), also helps to contain the overallspace occupation of the pumping device in which the apparatus can beinstalled.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intendedaim and objects, providing an apparatus that is compact and which, witha single monolithic duct segment, is capable of measuring the flow-rateof liquid and of controlling the temperature of the control andactuation unit (in particular of its electronic parts) of the pumpingdevice when the pump is on. Such pump is in fact well-suited to beinstalled inside compact pumping devices, occupying a minimal spacethereof.

Another advantage is that it is possible to control also the temperatureof the surrounding environment when the pump is off, in order to preventthe freezing of the liquid inside the ducts in case of excessivecooling.

It is therefore capable of protecting the device both from damage thatcan be caused by excessive temperature of the electronics and by thefreezing of the liquid.

Moreover, the apparatus is easy to install on the delivery of theelectric pump by way of the quick and reversible connection means, whichfurthermore facilitate disassembly operations for any maintenance on thepumping device.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modificationsand variations, all of which are within the scope of the appendedclaims; all the details may further be replaced with other technicallyequivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with thespecific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may beany according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2012A000409 fromwhich this application claims priority are incorporated herein byreference.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for controlling the flow-rate ofliquid of an electric pump and the temperature of the control andactuation electronics of a pumping device that carries the electricpump, comprising, on a single monolithic segment of delivery duct:flow-rate detection means, a heat sink for a control and actuation unit,which is provided with temperature detection means, said heat sinkhaving a wet side that is exposed to the liquid and a dry side that issealed from the liquid, with which said control and actuation unit isassociated.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidflow-rate detection means are part of a first portion of said monolithicsegment and comprise a flowmeter with a rotating fan and means fortransporting data to an external device for control and actuation of thepumping device.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heatsink is mounted on a second portion of said monolithic segment and saidcontrol and actuation unit is associated therewith and provided withsaid temperature detection means, which consist substantially of atemperature sensor and are associated with an external device for thecontrol and actuation of the pumping device, which belongs to saidcontrol and actuation unit.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3,wherein said heat sink consists substantially of a first wall thatcloses a liquid passage chamber that is extended on said second portion,said control and actuation unit being associated with said first wall onthe dry side sealed from the liquid.
 5. The apparatus according to claim4, wherein said delivery liquid passage chamber is provided internallywith a baffle for diverting the flow toward the wet side of said heatsink.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said monolithicportion is provided, at a first end portion thereof and second endportion, with means for quick and reversible connection respectively toa segment of pipe that carries the liquid in output from said electricpump and to another segment of delivery duct.